Editorial planning is the work of deciding what your company publishes, when, and where each finished piece goes next. Without it, content gets made when someone has time, about whatever they happen to think of, and published in one place. With it, every article, clip and photo set answers a real question, at the right time of year, in every channel where your buyers look.
What it is and who it is for
This service suits companies that:
- already produce some content but see little return from it
- have an in-house marketer, office manager or keen technician who needs direction
- serve several regions, where the season, fuel mix and programs differ
- want their content to reach past customers, not only strangers
It is also the backbone of our other services. The article engine, video production and photo libraries all run from the same calendar.
What is included
- A 12-month outline built on your seasons: furnace and boiler questions as nights cool, air-conditioning and heat-pump cooling questions ahead of the first hot spell, maintenance in the shoulder months.
- A rolling 90-day calendar with every piece named, briefed and assigned.
- Briefs for each piece: the question, the audience, the key points, the sources, the destination page and the call to action.
- A reuse map. One install becomes an article section, a short clip, a photo set, a Google Business Profile post and a social post.
- Program watch. We track the programs your buyers ask about and flag pages that need an update when one changes.
- Monthly reporting that ties each piece to calls, texts and emails where possible.
The seasonal shape of HVAC content
Canada's heating and cooling seasons shape what people search. A simplified calendar for a company in southern Ontario or the Prairies might run like this:
| Months | What buyers search | What to publish |
|---|---|---|
| Aug–Sep | Furnace tune-ups, heat-pump readiness | Maintenance checklists, "is it time to replace" articles |
| Oct–Dec | No-heat symptoms, replacement costs | Symptom explainers, quote walkthroughs, emergency pages |
| Jan–Feb | Frozen lines, high bills, short-cycling | Fast answers, video troubleshooting, bill-cutting tips |
| Mar–May | Air-conditioning and heat-pump planning | Comparisons, program explainers, sizing articles |
| Jun–Jul | Air-conditioning failures, comfort | Fast answers, cooling video, ductless guides |
The calendar shifts for the coast, the North and Atlantic Canada. The areas page explains how each region differs.
A worked example of reuse
Take one heat-pump install in a 1960s bungalow. Planned in advance, it can supply: a section in an article on heat pumps for older homes, a 60-second walkthrough video, a defrost explainer clip, eight photos for the library, a Google Business Profile post and two social posts. That is seven pieces of content from one job, for roughly fifteen minutes of crew time, because the plan said what to capture before the van left the yard.
Timeline
- Week 1: interviews with your owner, service manager and whoever answers the phone.
- Week 2: 12-month outline and first 90-day calendar.
- Weeks 3–4: first briefs out; production starts.
- Monthly: report, review and re-plan. Quarterly: a full calendar reset.
How results are measured
- Plan completion: share of planned pieces published on time.
- Reach of each piece: how many channels each item appeared in.
- Response: calls, texts and emails traced to content, including emails and texts to past customers who opted in.
- Freshness: share of program and price-sensitive pages reviewed within the last six months.
Mistakes to avoid
- Planning by holiday instead of by weather. A cold snap moves search demand far more than any calendar date.
- Treating social as the destination. Your website is the home; social is a doorway.
- Messaging past customers without consent. The CASL guidance from the CRTC sets out the rules; check your records first.
- One calendar for every region. Vancouver and Winnipeg do not get cold in the same week.
- No owner. Every calendar needs one person with authority to say yes.
Planning is part of every plan we run; see pricing. Our blog engine playbook shows how the calendar drives article production.
Frequently asked questions
We already post on social media. Why do we need a plan?
Because posting is not the same as answering buyers' questions. A plan makes sure each piece targets a real question, lives on your website, and gets reused across your profile and social channels instead of disappearing after a day.
Can you plan for our in-house marketer?
Yes. Some companies keep production in-house and use us for the calendar, briefs, review and reporting. It's often the fastest way to get more out of a person you already pay.
Can we send content to past customers?
Yes, with care. Canada's anti-spam law requires consent, identification and a working way to opt out for commercial emails and texts. We plan the content; you confirm your consent records before anything is sent.
How far ahead do you plan?
A rolling 90 days in detail and a 12-month outline built on your heating and cooling seasons. The detail changes when a cold snap, a heat wave or a new program changes what people search.